AMC River East holds special screening of 'Till,' film about lynching of Emmett Till as seen through eyes of his mother
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It has been 67 years since the horrific lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till – and now, his story is being told on the big screen.
A special screening of the film "Till" premiered at the AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St.
The film tells the story of the lynching through the eyes of Till's mother, Mamie Till-Mobley – focusing on her experiences and the decision to publish graphic images of her son's body.
Th Chicago teen's lynching in Money, Mississippi in 1955 helped spark the Civil Rights movement.
Among those present for the special screening Thursday night were actress Danielle Deadwyler, who plays Till-Mobley; director and co-writer Chinonye Chukwu; and producer and co-writer Keith Beauchamp.
"So there's the normal challenges of making a film, but also just the pressure I put on myself to make sure that I get it right – to get every detail right, and to really honor the lives and the humanities of the people whose story I'm telling," Chukwu said.
Deadwyler said she was familiar with the history of Till's murder, but her understanding of the crime deepened in studying a "plethora of archival photos" and reviewing poetry, visual art, and music about it.
"Those things began to swirl this greater understanding of who they were as people – the greater impact; the residual impact they've had over the course of American history," she said.
Deborah Watts, a cousin of Emmett Till and the co-founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, was also in attendance.
The film opens to the public in Chicago on Friday, Oct. 14.
